Prisoners have sued the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) seeking to be allowed to vote for other representatives, not just the President.
In their petition at the High Court in Mombasa, the prisoners Douglas Onyango, Edwin Njuguna, Samuel Mwaghania and Haron Mberia want inmates to be allowed to vote for the five representatives in the August 9, 2022 General Election.
The petitioners, who have also sued the Attorney-General, say they should be allowed to elect candidates of their choice that they feel can provide better services to marginalised groups like those behind bars.
They also argue that denying them a chance to vote for other representatives bars them from realising their full potential as human beings.
“We the petitioners wish the court to intervene partially from a constitutional front alleging breach of fundamental rights to vote,” they argue.
“We have said partially because we are complaining about the administrative action by IEBC as a result of failure to allow and include us to vote for the five representatives after allowing us to vote for the 2010 constitutional referendum and the past two presidential elections in 2013 and 2017.”
Prisoners were allowed to vote in the 2010 referendum and in the 2013 and 2017 elections for the President, but they are not allowed to vote for other representatives.
“We the petitioners feel that we are discriminated (against) by the administrative actions of IEBC for failure to allow and include us to vote for the Governor, Senator, MP, Woman Rep and MCA during the General Election of 2013 and 2017,” the prisoners said in their affidavit.
This, they say, violates the Constitution and they want IEBC’s administrative actions to be declared null and void.
At least 167 inmates in four prisons cast their ballots in the 2017 Kenyan general elections only voting for presidential candidates.
At a town in central Kenya, 194km from Nairobi, Nanyuki GK Prison, a total of 72 inmates participated in the General Election.
At Wundanyi GK Prison,367km South of Nairobi, 48 inmates cast their vote.
At the Nyahururu Thompson Falls GK prison in central Kenya, at least 30 inmate cast their vote.
At the institution, 13 women and 54 men had been registered as voters at the polling station but only four women and 26 men participated in the exercise.
In Isiolo Prison, at a town 285 kilometres north of Nairobi, 17 inmates who registered as voters participated in the exercise.
At least 167 inmates in four prisons cast their ballots in the 2017 Kenyan general elections only voting for presidential candidates.
At a town in central Kenya, 194km from Nairobi, Nanyuki GK Prison, a total of 72 inmates participated in the General Election.
At Wundanyi GK Prison,367km South of Nairobi, 48 inmates cast their vote.
At the Nyahururu Thompson Falls GK prison in central Kenya, at least 30 inmate cast their vote.
At the institution, 13 women and 54 men had been registered as voters at the polling station but only four women and 26 men participated in the exercise.
In Isiolo Prison, at a town 285 kilometres north of Nairobi, 17 inmates who registered as voters are expected to participate in the exercise.
At least 167 inmates in four prisons cast their ballots in the 2017 Kenyan general elections only voting for presidential candidates.
At a town in central Kenya, 194km from Nairobi, Nanyuki GK Prison, a total of 72 inmates participated in the General Election.
At Wundanyi GK Prison,367km South of Nairobi, 48 inmates cast their vote.
At the Nyahururu Thompson Falls GK prison in central Kenya, at least 30 inmate cast their vote.
At the institution, 13 women and 54 men had been registered as voters at the polling station but only four women and 26 men participated in the exercise.
In Isiolo Prison, at a town 285 kilometres north of Nairobi, 17 inmates who registered as voters are expected to participate in the exercise.
At least 167 inmates in four prisons cast their ballots in the 2017 Kenyan general elections only voting for presidential candidates.
At a town in central Kenya, 194km from Nairobi, Nanyuki GK Prison, a total of 72 inmates participated in the General Election.
At Wundanyi GK Prison,367km South of Nairobi, 48 inmates cast their vote.
At the Nyahururu Thompson Falls GK prison in central Kenya, at least 30 inmate cast their vote.
At the institution, 13 women and 54 men had been registered as voters at the polling station but only four women and 26 men participated in the exercise.
In Isiolo Prison, at a town 285 kilometres north of Nairobi, 17 inmates who registered as voters are expected to participate in the exercise.
At least 167 inmates in four prisons cast their ballots in the 2017 Kenyan general elections only voting for presidential candidates.
At a town in central Kenya, 194km from Nairobi, Nanyuki GK Prison, a total of 72 inmates participated in the General Election.
At Wundanyi GK Prison,367km South of Nairobi, 48 inmates cast their vote.
At the Nyahururu Thompson Falls GK prison in central Kenya, at least 30 inmate cast their vote.
At the institution, 13 women and 54 men had been registered as voters at the polling station but only four women and 26 men participated in the exercise.
In Isiolo Prison, at a town 285 kilometres north of Nairobi, 17 inmates who registered as voters are expected to participate in the exercise.
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